Clutch



J. M. STOUGHTON.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, I913.

Patented June 24, 1919.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. M. STOUGHTON.

CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. I913- Patelited June 24,1919.

2 S HEETSSHEET 2.

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JOSEPH M. STOUGHT'ON, or YONKERS, NEW YORK.

CLUTCH.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1919.

Application filed November 18, 1913. Serial No. 801,582.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH M. STOUGHTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Yonkers, Vestchester county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to power transmission or clutch mechanism and has special reference to an improved coupling by means of which the rotation of a driving member may be transmitted to a driven member. ()ne of the objects of this invention is to provide such a transmission mechanism by means of which the rotation of the driving member in either direction may be transmitted to the driven member wherein a positive frictional driving connection is obtained between the members from the power of the driving member, but wherein the effect of the driving member may be either partially overcome to form a non-positive connection or wholly overcome to avoid any driving connection between the members.

Other objects and advantages of my in vention will appear in the following specification in which I will describe the same and will then point out its novel features in claims.

This invention is an improvement upon that disclosed in a copending application for patent filed by me on the 4th of June, 1913, and serially numbered 771,591.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a mechanism which embodies my invention.

Fig. 2 is a seetionalend elevation of the same structure. taken on the line 11 of Fig. 2, and the section in Fig. 2 is taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, in each case looking in the direction of the arrows.

A detail of construction is shown in Fig. 3 which is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

A portion of the transmission mechanism is shown in end elevation on a larger scale in Fig. 4.

A lan view of a portion of this mechanism is shown in Fig. 5 in a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. i, and in this figure is also shown a cooperating pm in two of 1ts The section in Fig. 1 is operative positions, one of which is indicated bv dotted lines.

A modified structure which is also constructedin accordance with this invention, is shown in end elevation in Fig. 6.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The hub 10 of a driven pulley is rotatably mounted upon a driving shaft 30. At one end of this hub is a web 11 from which extends an annular flange 1.2. Within the shallow cylindrical casing thus formed is a sector carrying plate 13 whichalso loosely surrounds the driving shaft. Between the web- 11 and this plate may be interposed ball bearings if desired. Lying loosely upon the face of this plate are a plurality of locking sectors 14 which are equally spaced thereon by radial ribs 15 which project from the plate. The periphery of each sector fits the inner surface of the annular flange 12 and is so arranged that it may be moved away therefrom or may be moved against the flange into frictional driving engagement therewith or may be forced against it with sufficient pressure to lock against it. The inner ends of the sectors are squared off as at 16 to form surfaces at right angles to the medial radii of the sectors.

Each sector is constructed with two openings 17 and 18 equally spaced from the cen tral radius of the sector. lVithin the opening 17 is a releasing pawl 20 which is pivoted at 21 to the plate 13, and within the opening 18 is a releasing awl 22 pivoted at 23 to plate 13.

24: is a disk which is loosely supported upon the driving shaft and which carries a series of actuating pins for the pawls. 25 is one of these pins which projects into a slot in pawl 20 and 26 is another of the actuating pins which projects into a slot in pawl 22. The inner ends of the pawls and the inner surfaces of the openings in the locking sec-- tors are at right angles to radii drawn through the pivot 21 and pin 25, and pin 26 and pivot 23 respectively, and as long as these pivots and pins are maintained in radial alinement there is always a clearance between the inner ends of the pawls and adjacent surfaces of the openings in which they lie. These clearances allow the sectors to be forced outward against the flange 12 in the manner which I will now describe.

A portion 31 of the driving shaft is polyg onal, with as many sides as there are sectors 1 1. In the mechanism illustrated there are four sectors and the shaft portion 31 is a square which fits closely within the surfaces 16 of the sectors when the latter are in their innermost positions. As soon however, as the shaft 30 rotates, this square portion 31 will force the sectors outward into engagement with flange 12. The degree of pressure thus obtained depends upon the proportion of the length of the sides of the square 31 to the diameter of the flange 12 which is preferably such as to produce a positive locking effect. Consequently the pulley will be driven by the shaft in either direction of rotation.

I have however, provided means for partially or wholly overcoming the driving effect of the locking sectors. A collar 32 is splined upon the shaft so that it rotates with it, and is so arranged that it may be moved longitudinally of the shaft by means of a lever 33, one end of which is pivoted at a fixed point 34-. This collar carries one or more tapered pins 35 which are adapted to enter holes 27 in disk 24. It is to be noted that this disk 2 1 although loose upon the shaft, is rotated by the shaft through a lost motion connection through its pins 25-26 and the locking sectors. Consequently the pins 35 bear a definite relation to the holes 27 and rotate around the shaft in position to be forced into the holes, the pins being slightly offset relative to the center of the holes for the purpose hereinafter explained.

Assuming that the lever 33 and the sleeve 32 occupy the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 1, the pins 35 being out of engagement with the holes 27 ,-if, under these conditions the driving shaft is operated its first rotative movement serves to force the segments 14 outwardly with their circumferential surfaces in firm engagement with the flange 12 of the pulley. Driving connection is thus established between the shaft and the pulley. Obviously this driving connection is established irrespective of the direction in which the shaft is rotating.

Now if the pins 35 are moved into the position in which one of them is shown in full lines in Fig. 5, the effect will be to move the disk 24 in such a manner as to move its pins 2526 out of radial alinement with pivots 21-23 as is shown in dotted lines at 25 21, 26 23 in Fig. 4, which will tilt the releasing pawls in such a manner as to move the sectors 14 away from the flange 12. The pivots for the two pawls for each sector are oppositely arranged so that the inward thrust of each upon its sector will be at points on opposite sides of the medial radius of the sector. The effect of this operation is of course to allow the shaft to rotate freely within the pulley.

It is'also possible to move the pins 35 into positions intermediate their two extreme positions which are illustrated in Fig. 5 to tilt the releasing pawls any desired degree, thereby merely lessening the pressure of the sectors 14 upon the flange 12 so as to get a desired amount of frictional driving engagement.

Briefly, the operation of the clutch is as follows: assuming that the parts occupy the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings and that the shaft 30 is turning in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, under these conditions the square portion of the shaft will force the sectors 14 outwardly so that they will make a driving connection with the pulley flange 12. This driving connection obviously depends directly upon the reaction between the driving and the driven parts of the clutch.

If it is desired to release the clutch the collar 32 is moved to carry the pins 35 into engagement with the holes 27. The holes are arranged as already explained, so as to cause the releasing pawls 20 to tilt. These pawls can not tilt without forcing the sectors inwardly and the sectors can not move inwardly without being released. Consequently the collar and the pins together with the pawls constitutes a means which is independent of the reaction between the driving and driven members for releasing the clutch. If it is desired to set the clutch the collar 32 is moved outwardly.

In the modification shown in Fig. (3, pins 15 are substituted for the spacing ribs and the locking sector 14* is constructed with but one opening 60, the inner part of which has two converging cam surfaces 61( 2 against which the pin 35 bears directly to re lease the sector when desired.

hat I claim is:

1. A driving shaft having a flattened portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft, a clutch sector between the flattened. portion of the shaft and the inner periphery of the flange, the apex of said sector being squared off to aline with the flattened portion of the shaft whereby rotation of the shaft relative to said sector may force the sector outward into frictional engagement with the flange, and means for limiting the outward movement of the sector.

2. A driving shaft having a flattened portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft extending over the flattened portion thereof, a disk rotatably mounted upon the shaft, a clutch sector mounted thereon between the flattened portion of the shaft and the inner periphery of the flange, the apex of said so"- tor being squared off to aline with the flat tened portion of the shaft whereby rotation of the shaft relative to said sector may force Cir 8. A driving shaft having a flattened pori tion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the'shaft extending over the flattened portion thereof, a disk rotatably mounted upon the shaft within said flange, guiding members carried by the disk, a clutch sector slidably mounted upon the disk between the flattened portion of the shaft and the inner periphery of the flange, the apex of said sector being squared off to aline with the flattened portion of the shaft whereby rotation of the shaft relative to said sector may force the sector outward into frictional engagement with the flange,

and manually operable 'means for adjustably limiting the outward movement ofthe sector.

4,. A driving shaft having a flattened portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft, a disk rotatably mounted on the shaft, a clutch sector slidably mounted thereon, between the flattened portion of the shaft and the inner periphery of the flange,said sector being constructed with an aperture and with its apex squared off to aline with the flattened portion of the shaft whereby rotation of the shaft relative to said sector may force the sector outward into frictional engagement with the flange, and a pawl upon the disk within the sector aperture for limiting the outward movement of the sector.

5. A driving shaft having a flattened portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft extending over the flattened portion of the shaft, a disk rotatably mounted on the shaft within the flange, guiding members thereon, a clutch sector slidably mounted thereon between the flattened portion of the shaft and the inner periphery of the flange, said sector being constructed with an aperture and with its apex squared off to aline with the flattened portion of the shaft whereby'rotation of the shaft relative to said sector may force the sector outward into frictional engagement with the flange, a pawl pivotally mounted upon the disk within the sector aperture, and means for adjusting the position of the pawl to limit the outward movement of the sector.

6. A driving shaft having a flattened portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft extending over the flattened portion of the shaft, a disk rotatably mounted on the shaft within the flange, guiding members thereon, a clutch sector slidably mounted thereon between the flattened portion of the shaft and the inner periphery of the flange, said sector being constructed with an aperture and with its apex squared off to aline with the flattened portion of the shaft whereby rotation of the shaft relative to said sector may force the sector outward into frictional engagement with the flange, a pawl pivotally mounted upon the disk within the sector aperture, a releasing member having a projection engaging the pawl, and means for moving the releasing member relatively to the disk to release the sector from the flange.

7. A driving shaft having a flattened portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft, a disk rotatably mounted on the shaft, a clutch sector slidably mounted thereon between the flattened portion of the shaft and the inner periphery of the flange, said sector being constructed with two apertures and with its apex squared off to aline with the flattened portion of the shaft whereby rotation of the shaft relative to said sector may force the sector outward into frictional engagement with the flange, a pair of pawls within said sector apertures pivoted at their unlike ends to said disk, a releasing member having projections engaging the pawls between the pivots and the free ends thereof, and means for moving the releasing member relatively to the disk'to cause said pawls to limit the outward movement of the sector and to move said sector inwardly away from the flange.

S. A driving shaft having a polygonal portion, a. driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft, a clutch sector between each side of the polygonal portion of the shaft and the inner periphery of the flange, the apex of each sector being squared off to aline with its adjacent side of said polygonal portion of the shaft, whereby rotation of the shaft relative to the sectors may force the sectors outwardly into frictional engagement with the flange, and means for limiting the outward movement of the sectors.

9. A driving shaft having a polygonal portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft extending over the polygonal portion thereof, a disk rotatably mounted upon the shaft, a plurality of clutch sectors on said disk, the apex of each sector being squared off to aline with its adjacent side of said polygonal portion of the shaftwhereby rotation of the shaft relative to the sectors may force the sectors outward simultaneously into frictional en-- gagement with the flange, and means for adjustably limiting the outward movement of the sectors.

10. A driving shaft having a polygonal portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft extending over the polygonal portion thereof, a disk rotatably mounted upon the shaft within the flange, guiding members carried by the disk, a plurality of clutch sectors on said disk between the guiding members thereof, each of the polygonal portion thereof, a disk rotatably mounted upon the shaft within the flange, guiding members carried by the disk,

a plurality of clutch sectors on said disk be-' tween the guiding members thereof, each of said sectors being constructed with an aper ture and the apex of each sector being squared off to aline with its adjacent side of said polygonal portion of the shaft whereby rotation of the shaft relative to the sectors may force the sectors outward simultaneously into frictional engagement with the flange, and pawls pivoted upon said disk within the apertures of the sectors arranged toengage said sectors to limit the outward movement thereof, a releasing member having projections engaging the pawls; and means for producing a rotatable adjustment between said releasing member and the disk to thereby limit the outward movement of the sectors and to release said sectors from the flange.

12. A driving shaft having a polygonal portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft extending over the polygonal portion thereof, a disk rotatably mounted upon the shaft within the flange, guiding members carried by the disk, a plurality of clutch sectors on said disk between the guiding members thereof, each of said sectors being constructed with an aperture and the apex of each sector bu-- ing squared off to aline with its ad acent side of said polygonal portion of the shaft whereby rotation of the shaft relative to the sectors may force the sectors outward simultaneously into frictional engagement with the flange, and pawls pivoted upon said disk within the apertures of the sectors arranged to engage said sectors to limit the outward movement thereof, a releasing member having projections engaging the pawls, a collar slidably splined to the shaft having means thereon for producmg a rotative adjustment between said releasing member and the disk to thereby actuate the pawls to limit the outward movement of the sector and to release said sectors from the flange. I

13. A driving shaft having a polygonal portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft extending over the polygonal portion thereof, each of said sectors being constructed with an aperture and a disk rotatably mounted upon the shaft, guiding members carried by the disk, a plurality of clutch sectors on said disk between the guiding members thereof, the apex of each sector being squared off to aline with its adjacent side of said polygonal portion of the shaft whereby rotation of the shaft relative to the sectors may force the sectors outward simultaneously into frictional engagement with the flange, a plurality of pivot pins extending from said disk into the several apertures, pawls pivoted on said pins and disposed in the respective apertures, a releasing member rotatively mounted on the shaft, on the opposite side of the sectors from the disk, pins projecting from the releasing member into openings in the pawls, said releasing member being constructed with an opening substantially parallel With the shaft, a collar slidably splined to the shaft, a lever for adjusting the position of the collar on the shaft, and a tapered pin projecting from the collar and adapted to be moved into the opening in the releasing member.

14. A driving shaft havingaflattened portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft, a clutch sector between the flattened portion of the shaft and the inner periphery of the flange, the apex of said sector being squared off to aline with the flattened portion of the shaft whereby rotation of the shaft relative to said sector may force the sector outward into frictional engagement with the flange, and means acting directly upon the clutch sector for releasing the sector from the flange and holding said sector in opposition to the setting action of the shaft rotation.

15. A driving shaft having a flattened portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft extending over the flattened portion thereof, a disk rotatably mounted upon the shaft, a clutch sector mounted on the disk between the Eattened portion of the shaft and the inner periphery of the flange, the apex of said sector being squared off to aline with the flattened portion of the shaft whereby rotation of the shaft relative to said sector may force the sector outward into frictional engagement with the flange, and'means for positively holding the sector out of engagement with the flange.

16. A driving shaft havingaflattened portion, a driven member having an annular flange coaxial with the shaft extending over the flattened portion thereof, a disk rotatably mounted upon the shaft within said flange, guiding members carried by the disk, a clutch sector slidably mounted upon the disk between the flattened portion of the shaft and the inner periphery of the flange, the apex of said sector being squared off to aline with the flattened portion of the shaft whereby rotation of the shaft relative to said sector may force the sector outward I11 witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 13 day of November, 1913, in 10 the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH M. STOUGHTON.

into frictional engagement with the flange, Witnesses: and manually operable means for releasing R. J. DEARBORN, the sector from the flange. F. B. GRAVES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

